Matthew Boyd to the Cubs. They all start joining us right now on FT. I'll carry our conversation over to you for a moment here. First off, how you doing, Bud.
Doing, good Man? How you doing? I actually got to meet your parents.
I heard about that. I was going to bring that up at some point. Were they nice? Were they nice to you?
Oh? They were so kind? Yeah? Good bad, good, good good. I'm glad.
Well, thank you for Santa Loo to them meant a lot. Yeah, they were at regularly recently. So I want to ask you, do you how much attention do you pay to the history of an organization or a rivalry or a series. We were talking about how the Yankees just stomp on the Twins for like twenty years, going back to literally AJ's rookie years in or early years in the Twins organization.
Does any of that come up?
Because most players I've spoken to are like, I don't know anything about the history of this rivalry or whatever else.
I'm just playing ball. But what about you?
I mean, it comes up sometimes some of it you're aware of. It's like Cups Cardinals, you know the rivalry there, but like some of it at the same time, like just doesn't hold the same you know, you know it's there, but it's not going to really change anything.
Like it's just if you follow the game sometimes you're aware of that stuff. But I mean, when it comes down to it, it's like you go.
Do your thing and it's it's like hopefully, I mean, you know, it just doesn't really have too much baron on you.
But have you ever seen teammates get intimidated by going into places? Because I played for the Blue Jays in fourteen and I remember going into Yankee Stadium.
These dudes were doing.
Interviews on the on the field, and I'm like, you guys never do any of this stuff anywhere else. And then we go out and we get waffled by the Yankees. Like you see teammates that get and how do you even talk to them when you see that?
Yeah, I mean I think as you guys know, when you're when you play in a place sometimes and you've been there for multiple years unless I mean, I remember in Detroit, it was always like Cleveland was always something that was just hard for us, you know, like we wish it wasn't, but we just lost there a lot, you know, Kluber and Carrasco and Bauer would you know, shut us down, and Tomlin would come in and shut us down.
Like it was just.
Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason for it, but there's just a mental thing there. And when you come into another club sometimes you look at that. I just remember, like, you know, when we were in Seattle and at the time they were the Astros were a team that it kind of had their number, and it's just like coming from Detroit, it was like, oh, that's not that big of a deal.
But then you know, like they're like why were you?
They'd have the same reaction to you, you know, kind of feeling a way about Cleveland sort of thing.
Right, So sometimes that stuff just builds up over time.
But like when it is there, you just got to recognize it and be like, Okay, it's still the same game.
You know, there's no there's no hidden hex or something on this game or whatever. It's still baseball.
Go do what you do, and more often than not, if you do the things the right way, you know the symptom of that's winning and you get over those things. All right.
Well, I don't know if you heard the numbers, but what'd you say it was one twenty two and forty four. Scott was the Yankees records. It's two thousand and three against the Twins. They're eighty games over five hundred and against them in the last like twenty two years now.
So for me, here's the thing.
I was there two thousand and three in my last Twins, I went away, okay, but teams changed, Yankees changed, Twins changed. Is that just an organizational mindset? Because you know, they played in the playoffs, they got swept. Every time Yankees swept, the Twins played in wildcard games, they beat them, right? Is it because the press brings it up even though the players like, I don't know anything about that.
I wasn't here, but you know the media.
So do you think that could possibly creep in a team's head just because the media brings it up?
I mean, I guess, I guess it could. Anything's possible. And you got to think about the turnover on those rosters, like.
Oh, how far guys go back?
It's not you know, it's it's not probably not much more between like twenty sixteen at this time, right, So it's like, you know, maybe sometimes that sneaks in and sometimes it just I don't know. Just sometimes there's just winning and there may not be another explanation for it,
you know, it's just how it happens. But I mean, i'd like to think that like when that stuff gets brought up, you just I mean, all that stuff is you become aware of it as a player, because, like you said, the media is going to bring it up to you, but you go, you acknowledge it and just keep going about what you do. You know, it's it is weird. That's a crazy record though. It's a crazy, crazy stat going back that far.
All right, since you're with the Cubs, who's the Cubs? Who's the Cubs rivalry with? Is it with Milwaukee? Because I played in Milwaukee and it's like Chicago Cubs fans love like ah, we come to at the time Miller Park and like, oh look how many Cubs fans there are. It's like, well, you're just too cheap to drive down to Chicago. Or is it with the Cardinals? So where's where's where's the rivalry really at with the Cubs? Now that you're in the organization and you can see it firsthand.
Yeah, I mean I think there's always but the historical one just because of time and the leagues is the Cubs, Cardinals, you know, like that's that's that's the reverie right there with the Yankees, Red Sox and the Giants and Dodgers that you hear about, right, It's one of the best rivalries in sports, I think. I think the proximity and since the Brewers came to the National League, you know, a handful of years ago, like and that that proximity of being you know, only an hour and a half
apart makes that a fun rivalry too, you know. And I mean anytime you get to play like multiple games against quality ball clubs, you know what I mean, like or multiple games against anybody, you can always bring out something. So I've been playing in Milwaukee, it's it's always a fun environment there. I remember in twenty eighteen we went there for the last series of the year when they were pushing for a while or pushing for a playoff spot, and that was you we were with the Tigers and
that was a great environment. And every time we've played there this year against the Brewers, it's always been a good environment. And you know, it's I love, I love all the games that you know, the fans get into I think it's awesome for baseball and whatnot.
But I think they're both good rivalries. I'm not going to give any.
Locker room talk or you know, bulletin board material for anything one's better than the other.
That's funny.
That's funny, Matthew.
But I got to ask you this, are you guys sitting there going we have the third best record in the National League and we're six and a half games behind the Brewers. Have you guys gone to counsel and been like, hey, have you thought about putting some pancakes in your pocket or trying something different counts to keep up with these guys, because I mean, ten wins in a row, nine wins in a row, eight wins in a row, it's like they lose one, they win nine, they lose when they win ten.
You're like, you guys have gotta be sitt there go.
We're playing pretty damn well and we're losing ground rapidly, Like what is going on?
I mean, it's hats off to them. They're playing great baseball, and obviously you want to, you know, have runs like they're having, and and that's it's amazing when you have them, But when it comes down to it.
You got to be you.
You acknowledge what they're doing, but it doesn't change what you do, right, and.
Baseball is a crazy game. You know you can do You can do stuff.
You can go on runs like that, you can have stretches where the balls just not rolling your way right, and despite it all, like you show up and you know what you expect yourself individually and collectively as a team.
And sometimes that's harder than others.
When you have a team, you know, like the Brewers and they're so hot right now, they're doing their thing and it's they you know they're they're a good ball club, you know, but we know how good we are too, and you know, you just go okay, like they're doing what they're doing. You trust that come September when it rolls around, like standings will be where you know, like
they'll they'll they'll settle where they're supposed to be. But you just double down on what you're doing in those times and saying okay, like you can't let outside things change your process because that's when things start to go awry. And you know they're playing great baseball, but you know, we go out and we keep doing our thing, and we trust what we're doing, we trust our process, and you go from there.
Hey, we love ripping slab packs on Arena Club. I just ripped one in a Ruby pack. Those are fancy schmancy kip and I pulled a matt Shaw twenty twenty three Bowman Draft Aqua Lunar Creator refractor card.
And I guess what.
Guess what?
I got a little offer.
You get the instant off or right away.
Okay, so they're offering me one hundred and twenty one bucks, sell it back and then I can get a new slab pack.
What do I do?
I want to see this thing. Hold on, look at that. That's a beautiful card.
You know what.
I think that's a safe bet. I think it's gonna make you a little bit money. I think the more more big league time he gets, I'd almost take the deal, though, I'm in it for the chase. I like opening more packs. I think that one hundred and twenty one can buy you a couple more slabs to open, and uh, I think you keep chasing until you get someone you really like.
But that's the best part about it for me.
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Can you put your finger on what makes Craig Council when he signed his contract the highest paid manager at the time. Obviously Dave Roberts now is higher, but like the value that he brings because I try to explain it, it probably it's better coming from somebody that sees him day in and day out, right now.
Yeah, I mean I think it was really like Steltony when I got to be around you know, Craig in spring training was just like the attention to detail over the course of one hundred and sixty two games, right Like, as you guys know, there can be things that that slide down like that slide that were focuses early and then they drift away, whether it's something as simple as holding runners or throwing behind the runner.
Stuff that should be just.
Like the attention to detail and trying to wind in the margins and all those different things.
And I think from day one in spring.
What really impressed me was counts, like demanding some of these things out of us, whether it was holding runners in bolt, like doing something as simple as like, hey, we want to be quick to the plate. We got to if we can eliminate extra bases, that's going to
be huge for us. So in our first few bullpens, let's put an emphas on holding runners, like, you know, shouldn't be too much to ask when you're going through PFP's all these little things that may seem minuscule and small in the moment, those can win baseball games, you know, all through the stretch, and that can be the difference that when it comes to the end of September, you're going remember when we kept that guy on first instead of Thatch and he didn't it wasn't able to get
that extra base, and then that ball that might have been a hit ended up being a double play and we're out of the inning. Like, those are the little things that can make differences over the course of the season. And I think counts being able to ask ask those things of us in a way that and he's such a good communicator too, you know, you know where you stand with him, and I just it's I think it's what elevates him as a leader.
And it's been great, you know, and I mean.
I've really appreciated it down to our picture talks, Like in spring training, it's like, hey, you know, the big thing for you is going to be healthy this year. Like you haven't done you haven't you haven't pitched you know, massi amount of innings since twenty nineteen.
So it's going to be you got to communicate with me. I'm going to communicate with you.
We're going to find ways to you know, do this and that to make this work so we can be pitching all the way through October. And it's just like having those conversation up front and then checking in on it and whether it's you know, something as simple as that or demanding we do something different in a baseball game to help us win games. Like it's awesome, and it's like you see why he had the success he had in Milwaukee and he's had as a manager, and and it's I'm so happy.
To play for him. It's a lot of fun and you know, we got a great ball club.
It's a great answer. I'm gonna ask you a fan question here. A lot of Cup fans watching on TV and in our chat on YouTube, Chris says boyd how or who taught you your move to first?
That thing?
Damn near a back dog. And I'll add to the question because I think it was your last start or the start before when it went a little viral. There was just people going back and forth on Twitter like it's.
Not a bock because blah blah blah.
And I actually think like that's the form of social media that I really do enjoy where people are just debating a sports topic going on during a game in real time. So anyway, I don't know if you caught that at all, but your thoughts and your answer to Chris's question.
Yeah, So Mark Yeshino, Bellevue Community College out by Seattle, Yosh taught me my pickoff move when I was at Bellevue Community College's summer baseball camp. Like it's a place where my dad, my mom and dad dropped me off when I was nine years old, and Yosh is a lefty.
He kind of took a liking to me.
Taught me my move then, and every off season I've just continued to go back and work on it with him. It's one of those things if you get an out, that's a bonus. If you can hold a base runner at first base and not get it out just because the threat of the move. I mean, that's that's a win. And those are kind of the little margins that like can make a difference. And we've gotten some more outs
on it this year and that's been awesome. Tommy's helped me get toime with it too, temm me how to be because you know, it's one of those things where if you don't practice it, you can get into some bad habits, and those bad habits can tip a runner or whatnot. And I mean scatting reports, you know, spread like wildfire in this league. So if there's something that like you do that you know can help a base run or getting extra base or whatnot, you know, it's
it'll get out there. So Tommy's been being a lefty has helped me, you know, stay sharp on it in the season. I think I've only been called on one bock on it on that move, and that was Joe West and he was hiring third base and there was a guy on third and he bockd a run in. It was a first and third and I picked off and and and and Joe called me for a bock.
In twenty nineteen on that.
But uh, I think that's the only back I've been called it going over And I know people, I mean getting thrown some mentions here and there, people very you know, passionate about my move on one way or the other.
But it's a.
It's it's it's never I haven't been called a bock on it, you know, And it's and it's I don't I don't think it breaks the rules at all, you know, so, but yeah, it's it's a weapon, and you know the goal whether it keeps a guy at first or gets it out either way, you know, it's it's something that's that's beneficial.
Before you before we got a little bit off baseball.
Mark Burley never got a ball called on him either until Joe West got him right, same thing because you know why, because Joe get picked off by the bitcher.
He'd like, oh wait picked Oh wait, I'm not Oh he got me back. It has to be a buck, right. But he was up the first.
I don't know if you've ever seen Burley throws his glove up in the air, gets subjected.
Ozzie comes out and gets subjected.
It was in Cleveland, Okay, next time Burley started Joe West was like Angel. It was Joe and Angel Hernandez on the same crew, so we had Angel Hernandez at home. Joe was like, it's second or first, And I told Mark, I go listen, if you throw over, you're gonna have to give the most generic move in the world, like pick your leg up and just go to first.
Right.
So we call throw over and sure enough, picks his like, I mean, the most obvious, like I'm going to first, woom back by Angel Hernandez the homeplate umpire, I'm like, I knew it. I can't believe it. And they just did it to prove the point that Burley's boot move was a back, even though he literally did like the most generic like hey guys, I'm going to first, and you're like, yeah.
It was unbelievable, unbelievable. So Angel's gone now so you don't have to worry about that. So it was but just be careful, Oh I will, I will.
He really had a good move.
That was he was. He was on the Blue Jays when I got u when I got called up. It was a quick minute, but yeah, that was a It's fun. It's fun to watch all the lefties move too. I mean, you know, Freed, Freed's got a great one. Showed has got a really good one too. He got a guy this week. So that was that was so it was fun to watch, all right.
So my question is July and August.
I try to tell people when I played, like people say the dog Days. What I liked about July and August in baseball was dudes start getting pissed off at each other.
Do you have any good.
Like, because because the season just grinds on and like some people like aren't doing as well, it's hot, all that stuff, do you have any good stories about dudes getting mad at each other at the end of the season that kind of like then you know, fizzled out and everybody everybody calmed down.
I mean, I don't know if I have any good stories that I can recollect. They definitely happened, They didn't mean a lot of it's over a little petty stuff over the course of the year. I will say this and and and he's probably gonna get mad at me for telling us. But last night a team dinner, Bridge was just angry the food couldn't come fast.
Enough and h and.
It's like dang Bradge, like can we just enjoy your show dinner man and and have some fun and like once he got fed, he was all happy. But but but I think you start to see little things like that where on and most of it when you have a good perspective, it's pretty comical in hindsight. But uh yeah, as you guys know, you can get around some guys
over the year that get a little salty. It's one cool thing about this ball club is that, you know, I we we got some good guys, and we got some really good attitudes, and we had a team This last team flight coming into Toronto, I think was our best team flight so far. You know, guys are always like.
Guys are, Guys are talking, Guys are in the aisle having a good time.
I'm trying to give us in trouble with FA or anything like that, but like, you know, like it's a good time on the plane, good time on the bus, on the mic. And I think that speaks to you know, where you're at with your ball club.
It's pretty fun.
Guys enjoy being around each other despite how the season's going, despite how our individual seasons are going. And we got a lot of good veterans and justin Turner and you know Dan's and and Happer, like you know, we keep guys light and uh and you know, give guys a hard time when you're supposed to, but guys are lying about it.
So we're in a good spot with this ball club.
But you know, as you know, there's stuff this time of year can get pretty petty at times, and it's a it's always a good time when it does happen.
All right, Matthew.
First of all, you guys probably went to Barbarians and for everybody, I don't know if they still go there, but that's where everyone used to go back in the day.
I'm sure you've probably been there. It's good.
We did Jacob's last We did Jacobs.
Yeah, okay, all right, fair enough.
Hey have you ever did you ever know Woogie or did you ever know are you a fan of the forty nine ers of the Dolphins? Because you look like Matt Dylon from Something about Mary The whole time I'm sitting here looking at you and I'm going, do you have something in his air?
Or is that just the free date stuff?
I just I mean, I'm like, holy cow, I cannot like now that I if you see it.
I've heard the Matt Dylon guy. I've heard the Matt Dylan comparison quite a bit. That's a good looking guy, so I'll take that.
No, he is.
He's in some great movies too, so yeah, definitely.
I mean listen.
Character and something about Mary.
You know, yes, it wasn't it's not cruel intentions. What was the one with Denise Richards and Wild Things?
Yeah, that was. You should have been Matt Dylan in that movie because that was a good character to be.
There, just saying.
Young, handsome Matt Dylon.
That's good. I get a guy from Peloton too, but I don't know. I don't have a pell.
I don't know.
I'm not really that's what people in Chicago, and you look like so and so from Peloton. I'm like you, I don't know. But that I'm like, I'm like, is a good looking They're like, yeah, he's a handsome guy. I'm like, okay, cool.
What's his name, krat I think it's Ben al Diese.
Ben al Deese. I'm googling. Hold on, he's a handsome guy. I'll take it.
I don't remember all I don't remember all their names, but.
It is much more Matt Dylan than I like, I would take the matt Dylan comm.
Oh hell yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
And by the way, Matthew, I'm in Atlanta, where last time I think I saw you your your family was getting out of a gigantic van of people at the All Star gate. So here's Matthew boys standing out there, full uniform, and I'm walking back to the hotel before I think it was before the yeah, it was before the All Star Game. I'm going to leave. He's sitting out there in full uniform and I'm like, what is
he doing? And I see this gigantic van pull up and like fifty people get out with all boyagers and I'm.
Like, a have fun, Matthew, and time with your family.
And the funny part is like half of that's just the immediate family, you know. That's that's the four kids and the nanny and then and the whole point crew. So I mean that's we roll deep. Whenever we do. It's it's never a cheap we love it. When everyone's in town. It's never cheap, but I love it.
Hey, you gotta go big for the All Star Game. I love that I've got to share it with everybody.
Perfect exactly Yeah, I think. I mean, you got to really appreciate those moments. I know most players do, but that's really cool to bring a big crew out there. Matthew, awesome catching up man. Thanks for the time. As always, we'll catch down the road.
Thanks guys, thanks for having me on